Warmth
by mintbanana
Summary: Oneshot Cloti. Fluff. Tifa's taking a time out and gets into trouble that isn't entirely her fault.


_Disclaimer: Characters/locations/monsters all belong to Square Enix. _

_Eh, random thing. I just wanted to see what I could do with status effects._

**Warmth**

The sun was just rising over Junon, hovering drowsily over the horizon as though it was in no real hurry to get anywhere. The sea was painted a fiery red with its light, and what few clouds there were glowed with a purplish tinge. It had been a largely clear night, but with the lack of cloud cover and the approach of winter, it was bitterly cold. The uneven streets were made even more hazardous with the layer of frost that covered them, and yet more glittered on the worn stone steps leading down to the strand of gravel and silt that served as a beach. Tifa descended these as quickly as was possible without risking injury and made her way towards the sea, her boots crunching on the broken glass that was mixed with the sand, almost turning her ankle on an awkwardly shaped stone. She stopped a few feet away from the incoming tide, pulling her jacket even tighter around her slim frame. She took a deep breath, hissing slightly as the icy air hit her throat and lungs, the cold enough to burn them. Even so, she took another, and stared out over the waves. It was… peaceful here. So different form Edge and its hundreds of people. The sea was now almost clean, the WRO and what was left of Shinra having done work to try and renovate the place and decrease pollution levels. However, it had proven to be entirely too expensive, and so many of the townspeople had simply been relocated to the old military base in Upper Junon, now remodelled for their purposes. The old town was still around though, along with some of the more patriotic citizens (those who could not forget their grievances with Shinra), and Tifa found these to be far more appealing to be around. The house they had stayed in all those years ago was now vacant, and so she was staying there.

She had her reasons for travelling to Junon, and for staying in that old, run-down cottage, although she alone knew what they were. A few days earlier, she had called Barret to ask if he would come and take the kids for a while, before packing a bag and preparing to leave. As an afterthought, she left a note on the bar for Cloud, along with her phone. The note simply read that she needed a time out from the bar, and that she would be back eventually.

And so, here she stood, with the sea's constant sound soothing her and the frigid wind blowing her hair into tangles. She let the wind numb her cheeks and uncovered hands, feeling removed from everything; her responsibilities at the bar, looking after the kids, her unrequited feelings for Cloud… everything. She sighed, and turned to walk along the sea for a while before the beach combers came out to look for things dropped from Upper Junon, but she was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of a Gagighandi. She stumbled backwards as the thing hissed at her, wondering what the heck something native to Gongaga was doing in Junon. It lunged suddenly, and she leapt out of the way, adopting a fighting stance upon landing.

It didn't matter _why_ it was here, all that mattered was that it _was_ here and it was either very angry or very hungry. Either way, it was attacking her and she had no intentions of being killed anytime soon. She dodged a second strike and lashed out with a kick, connecting with its jaw and sending it back a few paces. In order to keep her balance, she was forced to follow the kick through by spinning bodily, but she pulled her fist back to deliver a powerful blow to the thing. At least, that was the plan. As she turned, she was suddenly aware of a flash of black speeding towards her and a yell of "Tifa!"

"Cloud?!" she yelped, stopping dead as he ran towards her, his sword at the ready. The distraction cost her dearly though, and as she snapped her head back round to face the Gagighandi again, she was aware of a flash of yellow and a sudden stiffening in her limbs. _'Stone stare…'_ she thought briefly, before the cold feeling of the stone enveloping her body turned her thoughts to mush. She just had time to take a quick, panicked breath before she felt the effect clawing at her throat. She was aware of Cloud yelling her name again, but she couldn't see him anymore. She was trapped, a statue. Helpless.

ooo

'_Dammit, dammit, dammit!' _Why had he yelled like that? Why had he rushed all the way down here to try and save her when he knew damn well that she didn't need saving? That distraction had put her in even more danger. He rushed the thing, yelling harshly, and felled it in one blow. He then dropped his sword almost immediately and started digging through his pockets for a bottle of soft to cure his friend. She was caught with her fist half-raised and a look of shock on her face, her hair frozen in a billowing halo around her head. Her eyes were frozen open and seemed, to him, accusing. He touched her cheek gently, feeling a faint and fading warmth coming from underneath the stone.

"I'm sorry Teef," he said quietly, knowing that she could still hear him, even if she couldn't respond. Finally, his fingers found the small bottle, and he quickly unscrewed the lid and scooped a little out on his finger, smearing it on Tifa's stone lips. It worked quickly, the stone fading back into skin and colour returning to her features. As the effect spread, it became obvious that, while she might have been cured of that particular ailment, the lack of heat retention while in her stone state had left her frozen and in severe danger of hypothermia. He waited just long enough for her to regain movement in her legs before lifting her bodily and holding her close to him. She was unable to protest, having lapsed into unconsciousness. Deciding that he'd come back for his sword, he carried her as fast as possible back along the beach and up to the town. Guessing where she would be staying, he rushed to the little cottage and kicked the door open, it having been, thankfully, unlocked.

He worked quickly, pulling off Tifa's boots and laying her out on one of the beds. He pulled a duvet from one of the other two beds on top of her. Conscious that he shouldn't warm her up too quickly, he closed the door and got a fire going in the hearth. She was still unconscious and, as he discovered by touching her cheek, still freezing. He ran through a few basic medical procedures that he had learned in training while at Shinra but came up a blank. He had never been posted to Icicle Inn or the surrounding area, and so had never been briefed on precautions against hypothermia. Clenching his fists in frustration, he suddenly recalled something Zack had told him once.

_"Well, if you ever get round to getting a date, try going out when it's cold. Everyone knows the best way to keep warm is sharing body temperature. Even you can't fail with that strategy."_

Even though he had been joking at the time, what he had said was largely true, and Cloud had no other real alternatives right now. Still, he wasn't sure. Tifa was unconscious and he wasn't really sure what counted as invasion of privacy. Even so, she was in trouble, and he wasn't about to let his own awkwardness get in the way of helping her. With that thought in mind, he lifted the top cover and, having removed his boots, slid in beside her, putting his arms around her and holding her close. She still felt far too cold, but her breathing was even and she was no longer shivering quite so much. He had never realised quite how fragile she really was. Despite her strength and prowess in battle, she was still only human, and right now, she seemed far more vulnerable than he'd ever have guessed she could be. He held her a little tighter to him and tucked her head under his chin, smoothing her hair away from her face.

ooo

'_It's warm…'_ That was the first thought that crossed Tifa's mind as she woke. She could vaguely remember being on the beach, and something about being attacked and then… She blinked and made to rub her eyes, but found that she wasn't exactly alone.

"You're awake. Thought you were going to sleep forever there Teef." She looked up a little to see Cloud smiling awkwardly down at her. She glanced back down at the bedcovers that were covering them both and then back at him. He laughed a little, still seeming awkward.

"After I used the soft on you, you fainted and you were freezing. I got you back here and this was the only way I could think of to get you warm. I'm sorry if…" She cut him off by wrapping her arms around his torso.

"No, it's okay. If it wasn't for you, I'd be in much worse shape. But… how did you find me? I didn't tell anyone I was coming here." He pushed her hair back from her eyes and ran a hand over her cheek.

"I… it was a lucky guess. I remembered how much you used to say you wanted to live by the sea someday, and how much you loved being in Costa del Sol even for just that day during Meteorfall. I was going to look there actually, but I saw you on the beach as I was heading for the lift up to Upper Junon."

"You remember that far back? I didn't think you would. Or that you would come looking for me…" Lifting her chin gently, he looked at her, a gentle smile playing around his mouth.

"Of course I came looking. You left your phone behind so I couldn't contact you. I had to know where you were so I came to find you."

"But you never call, and you barely ever pick up if I call you." Tifa was genuinely confused by all this.

"But I always have the option, and that's what matters. I like knowing you're always at the bar or just at the other end of the phone. It means I'm not on my own out there, and I like that feeling." He tucked her head under his chin again, sliding his other arm round her waist. She blushed a little and huddled closer to him, conscious that she may never get another chance to be this close to him. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the scent of him; motor oil and something darker that she'd never been able to get a fix on. Meanwhile, he breathed in the cherry and rose fragrance of her hair, and the two of them just laid there like that for a while.

ooo

"Cloud?" Tifa half-whispered a little later. The warmth between them was making them both drowsy, and she was sure that if she fell asleep now, then it would turn out that the whole thing was just a dream. But if it was, there was just one more thing that she wanted from it, and then she could be happy.

"Hmm? What is it?" he mumbled, his voice heavy with impending sleep.

"I'm happy you came for me, and that you stayed with me like this. It's more than I could have wished for, really. But I wanted to know... what's the real reason? I don't really understand what you meant earlier, about 'that feeling'." She felt his chuckle vibrate through the top of her head.

"I already told you Teef. I had to know where you were. I…" He paused, thinking about what he really wanted to say.

"Actually, you know what I also remember about you?" he asked eventually. She shook her head, her eyes filled with confusion. He smiled, leaned down and kissed her gently. Pulling back, he whispered;

"Words aren't the only way to tell someone how you feel."

-end-

_Er… yeah. Bit long, not a lot of point, but I enjoyed writing it. Feel free to comment should you see fit._


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